Protect Me
by WaitingformyMunkustrap
Summary: Electra has always dreamed of being a Jellicle protector. There's just one problem: Queens don't become Jellicle protectors. Meanwhile, after being rejected by the queen he loves, Plato is feeling overlooked and unappreciated. Both are in for a surprise at this year's Jellicle Ball.
1. Chapter 1

_Protect Me_

by Waiting for my Munkustrap

* * *

It happened in the blink of an eye. Macavity grabbed Demeter. Munkustrap wrapped his arms protectively around his young daughter, Jemima. It was the middle of the day. All of the other Jellicles were asleep. None of them would be able to get there, faster than that ginger fiend could kill the trembling queen in his arms.

"What do you want from us?" Munkustrap begged, garnering only a satanic grin in response. "This is between you and me, Macavity!" he cried. "Leave my family alone!"

Macavity chuckled darkly, caressing Demeter's stomach as he held her against his chest. She closed her eyes and tried to keep her breath steady. Jemima and Electra were watching. She had to be strong for her daughters.

"Of course. _Your_ family," Macavity mused.

Munkustrap eyed him suspiciously.

"Did you know that cats can have multiple paternity, Munkustrap?" he asked. "Cats from the same litter may have different fathers."

Munkustrap hissed, "What are you talking about?"

"Come on. Do you not suspect that there's a reason – some deep, unconscious pull – that you chose to protect that one?"

Munkustrap glanced down at the kitten in his arms, then over at Electra, who stood to the side.

Macavity's sinister laughter filled the den, once more. Munkustrap wished someone would hear it. It was so loud, one would think...but he knew. He knew no one would hear, and by the time anyone came to his family's aid, Macavity wouldn't be there.

"Well, this has been fun," Macavity said, almost casually. He roughly pushed Demeter forward, out of his grip, and she ran to protect Electra. "I suppose I should let you all get some sleep. I'd hate for my _nieces_ to miss out on their beauty sleep, eh, Munkustrap?"

He flashed one more wicked grin, and, in the blink of an eye, he wasn't there.

As soon as Munkustrap was sure his criminal brother was really gone, he let go of Jemima and rushed to Electra's side, practically pushing Demeter out of the way, and fell to his knees in front of her. "Don't listen to a word he says, Electra," he begged. "You are my daughter. No matter what, no matter whose blood you have in you." He pulled her in to a hug. She was so tiny, so young, and so innocent.

"Okay, Daddy," she said.

Munkustrap sighed. She wasn't even afraid. He should have known that about her. Even at the tender age of three months, she was fearless. She was unshakeable.

He kissed her cheek and buried his face in her shoulder. "My kitten," he murmured, much like a kitten himself.

They never spoke of that night, again.

* * *

"Guess what tonight is?" Jemima shrieked, pouncing on Electra.

Electra groaned and rolled over, such that her sister fell off her. "Yeah, yeah. It's the Jellicle Ball. Five more minutes."

"It isn't _just_ the Jellicle Ball, Ellie!" Jemima insisted, continuing to shake her sister. "It's our official coming of age, and Dad's gonna announce who he's chosen to be the next protector!"

Electra snorted, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She yawned, enjoying the orange glow that filtered into the den from the last rays of sunlight. She wasn't particularly anxious for her coming of age ceremony. Sure, it was a big deal. Technically, she and Jemima became young queens months before, but they had to wait for the Jellicle Ball to come back around before it could be made official. Until then, they were still considered kittens, lived in their parents' den, and were off-limits to any toms who might have their eye on them. Jemima had always dreamed of having kittens of her own, and even though she was still much too young to think about kittens, she was excited at the prospect of being courted and choosing who would be the father of hers. Electra on the other hand, well...toms and kittens weren't her style.

"We all know it's gonna be Uncle Al," she yawned, referring to whom their father was announce as the next protector. Everyone knew it was going to be Alonzo, the protector's littermate and second-in-command.

"What if it's you?" Jemima said softly.

Electra forced a bitter laugh. "Yeah, right."

"Oh, come on," her sister continued. "You always wanted to be the protector."

"And then I grew up," Electra said, trying to focus on making her nest instead of her dream that would never be. "Queens don't become protectors, Jem. Our bodies just aren't built for it. We're not strong enough."

Jemima argued, "There's no rule against queens being protectors."

"It's just...practical, Jemima," Electra sighed.

Jemima frowned. Electra wasn't know for being practical. Rather, she was known for being a goofball. She had been a bit down, ever since her only crush, Mistoffelees, started seeing the girls' friend, Victoria. There were no hard feelings, but Jemima knew it had been quite the blow to Electra.

"Come on," she said, placing her paws on her sister's shoulders. "Let's make you look beautiful, for the Ball, tonight."

* * *

Plato returned the yard after spending a few days with his human family, getting over a cold. He needed to find his dad, and he figured he would be sitting on the tyre next to the clearing, like always.

Plato was the youngest of Old Deuteronomy's six sons, and, although he hated to admit it, he often felt overlooked. He wasn't goofy and good-natured like Admetus, an overachiever like Munkustrap, popular like Alonzo, the Napoleon of Crime like Macavity, or a royal pain in the ass like Tugger. He was just ordinary Plato. It certainly didn't do wonders for his self esteem when Victoria chose the magical, marvelous Mr. Mistoffelees over him, either. For a second, he wondered if his dad would even notice him.

She shook the thought away. He was not one to pity himself.

Sure enough, just like he had expected, Old Deuteronomy was sitting on the tyre, overseeing the preparations for the Jellicle Ball. He sauntered over, past all the Jellicles that were bustling about, putting up decorations and making sure props were in place. "Dad?" he asked, when he reached the tyre.

Old Deuteronomy smiled down at him. "Good evening, my son."

He had noticed him. Plato mentally checked off that box.

"Look, Dad, um, I know this is really short notice, but my human family just got a new cat, and I was wondering if I could invite her, tonight."

Old Deuteronomy frowned, contemplating it for a moment before answering, "Son, you know we have rules about outsiders attending the ball. I would like to meet her, first. Maybe, she can come next year."

Plato nodded politely. "I understand," he said. "Thank you."

He walked away, heading towards his den so he could freshen up before the ball. He wasn't upset with his father. In fact, he understood. The previous year's Ball had been quite the shit show, when Grizabella showed up.

He was so lost in his thoughts as he walked just in front of his brother Munkustrap's den, he wasn't able to react in time when Electra came darting out, and the two collided, sending the small queen tumbling to the ground.

"Oh shit, Ellie, I'm sorry," Plato said, helping her up. "You look nice."

She really did look nice. Her tortoiseshell coat had been brushed, and her headfur had been swept out of her face, revealing her big, green eyes. Her fur was clean and shiny, a shockingly vibrant array of dark but fiery colors, like an ember.

Electra was Plato's niece, but she wasn't much younger than him. They grew up with the same group of friends, but they weren't particularly close. He had certainly not noticed when she turned into a such a pretty, young queen.

Electra blushed. "Thanks, Plato," she said quietly.

"Um..." Plato coughed. He wouldn't consider himself socially awkward, necessarily, but he wasn't the best at conversation. "You excited for your coming of age ceremony?"

He tried to sound upbeat, but Electra easily caught the bitterness in his voice. Last year had been his coming of age, along with Victoria, Mistoffelees, and Tumblebrutus. He had danced with Victoria. Everyone thought they were going to be mates. Plato certainly did.

"Honestly?" Electra said. "No."

"Good," Plato laughed, "because it's bullshit."

"What's bullshit?"

Jemima pranced up behind her sister and put her arm around her shoulders.

"It's poop," Plato explained, now with a cheeky grin upon his face, "that came from a male cow."

Jemima laughed and playfully punched her young uncle's shoulder. "Come on," she urged her sister, pulling her along. "Let's go get in place for the Ball!"

* * *

 _"_ _Jellicle cats meet once a year,_

 _On the night we make the Jellicle Choice,_

 _And now that the Jellicle leader is here,_

 _Jellicle cats can all rejoice!"_

Any other year, Munkustrap's speech would have ended there. This time, he continued, "I also have a very important choice to make tonight."

The anxious Jellicles spread out, forming a circle around the perimeter of the clearing, with Old Deuteronomy at his place on the Tyre, leaving Munkustrap and Alonzo in the center.

"Most of you came here tonight with an idea of how this would go," Munkustrap said. "I would announce Alonzo, my brother and second-in-command, as the next protector of the Jellicle tribe. I'll admit, he seems like the obvious choice. He and I talked about it, however, and decided it didn't make much sense for me to choose a successor who is, in fact, a solid two minutes older than me."

A quiet murmur of laughter sounded from the Jellicles.

Munkustrap and Alonzo smiled at each other. "Would you like to do the honors?" Munkustrap asked. Alonzo nodded. He turned to face the crowd.

"Munkustrap and I come from a long line of Jellicle protectors: Our father, before us-" He smiled at Old Deuteronomy. "-and his father, before him. It only seems appropriate to keep it in the family."

There was a deadly silence (that you feel you could cut with a knife – **A/N: I'M SO SORRY. IT HAD TO HAPPEN** ), as the Jellicles waited to hear the name of their next protector.

"Plato."

The young tom snapped to attention. He had hardly even been paying attention. Of all the names that could have come out of his older brother's mouth, he was not expecting it to be his. For a moment, he thought he heard wrong, and yet, he looked up to find his older brothers and the rest of the tribe looking at him expectantly.

"Step up, little brother," Alonzo added.

Slowly, Plato put one foot in front of the other, looking around at all the familiar faces that surrounded him. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Victoria smiling at him from Mistoffelees' embrace. He faced forward for the rest of the short walk to the center of the clearing. It felt like ages. When he was finally within reach, Munkustrap pulled him in to stand between him and Alonzo.

"Plato has everything we look for in a protector. He's brave, strong, caring, mature, responsible, and patient. I have one hundred percent confidence in him, and I'm sure you all do, as well."

The Jellicles gave a round of applause.

Plato was stunned. Was this really happening?

"Just one thing left," Munkustrap told him. "You have to choose your second-in-command."

The new protector-in-training froze. He hadn't prepared for this. He hadn't even the slightest suspicion that he would be chosen. How was he supposed to choose a second-in-command on the spot?

"E- Electra. I choose Electra."

He found her in the crowd. Her already oversized, green eyes now looked like she had two small watermelons stuck in her face.

Electra's experience was much the same as Plato's, except she had Jemima clapping and cheering in the background. Her brain quickly tuned out all noise, anyway. She slowly and nervously walked into the center of the clearing, where her father pulled her into a tight hug. Munkustrap and Alonzo then walked the two younger cats up to the tyre, to be officially sworn in by the Jellicle leader.

Old Deuteronomy beamed at them with pride as they stood before him, like two humans getting married in front of a priest. "Plato and Electra," he thundered. "Do you hereby accept the great honor and responsibility of your new roles as Jellicle protectors, in the name of the Everlasting Cat?"

"We do."

"Jellicle cats, it is my great pleasure to introduce you to your newest protectors!"

Plato and Electra turned around the face the crowd of cats. The Jellicles were merrily making an uncatly amount of noise in honor of their new – shocked, nervous, and completely unprepared – protectors.


	2. Chapter 2

Demeter sighed as she spread out her daughter Electra's favorite blanket on the floor of an empty den. A new den. The den that her now young adult daughters would be sharing, by themselves. She sniffed, fighting back tears.

"You okay, sweetheart?"

She startled at the sound of her mate's voice. She hadn't heard him come in. Well, there was no use in lying. "No," she whimpered.

Munkustrap shuffled in, laying Jemima's favorite blanket on the floor, on the other side of the den. He sat down next to Demeter and pulled her to him.

"When did they grow up?" she asked.

Munkustrap just chuckled and placed a kiss on her cheek.

They were barely more than kittens, themselves, when Demeter gave birth to Electra and Jemima. It had been a roller coaster that neither of them would have traded for the world. Still, they both felt too young to have two grown kittens. The time had gone by far too quickly. It was a bittersweet day.

"I think it's harder with Electra," Munkustrap confessed. "Jemima – she's still a daddy's girl, but..."

"Electra never was," Demeter finished for him. Munkustrap nodded.

Demeter look down, running her paw over Electra's old blanket. That was when Munkustrap noticed her shaking slightly.

"I'm scared, Munkustrap," she whispered.

Her mate sighed, "This is about Electra becoming a protector isn't it?"

"Well, aren't you scared?"

"Me?" he answered with a smirk. "I'm fucking terrified. I know what it takes to be a protector, and the thought of my kitten going through any of it..." He sighed. "I'm terrified for her, but she doesn't need to know that."

He said that last part with a pointed look at Demeter. She nodded knowingly.

The sound of excited laughter signaled their daughters' approach. Demeter quickly wiped away her tears, moments before Jemima, Electra, and their friends, Mistoffelees, Tumblebrutus, and Pouncival. The three toms' were holding stacks of pillows, toys, and a couple small books.

"Remind me why we're carrying everything, again?" asked Tumblebrutus.

Electra giggled. "Because you're toms, so you're stronger."

"You're a protector, now," Pouncival argued. "You can carry your own sh..." He noticed Munkustrap and Demeter, watching the scene in amusement. "...tuff."

"Not yet!" Electra shot back. "I haven't started training, yet."

"Au contraire, my dear," her father purred, "you became a protector, the moment you took the oath."

"Told you." Pouncival dumped the pile he was carrying all over Electra, who laughed, "Hey! I wasn't ready!"

It was calming for Electra's family to see her acting like her usual, playful self. She attacked Pouncival, sending them both crashing to the floor. Pouncival, as always, won the ensuing battle by pinning Electra to the floor. Jemima, Tumblebrutus, and Mistoffelees watched, amused, from the sidelines.

"Just think, Pounce," Tumblebrutus said. "In a couple months, you won't be able to beat her."

"I sure hope not!" Pouncival smirked at the young protector. "I can't have a pansy protecting me and my future kittens."

Electra grinned. "Oh, I'll get you, one day, Pouncival."

Demeter laughed and suggested that they all give the girls some time alone to settle in to their new den. No sooner had they left the den than Electra was jeering at her sister, "Someone has a crush on Pouncy!"

"I do not!" Jemima protested.

"Why are you blushing, them?"

The young queen on the spot blushed even harder. "Okay, I guess he's kind of cute, and he wants his own family, and he's grown up a lot in the past year."

Electra snorted. "Remind me what you're still doing here?"

Jemima opened her mouth to argue, but found she had nothing to say. With an apologetic smile, she left her sister alone in their new den.

Electra sighed contentedly. _Peace and quiet._ She set about arranging her things the way she liked them, not even pausing to address the knock at the entrance. "Come in," she called, expecting it to be one of her parents or Jemima.

"Hey, Ellie."

"Oh, hi, Plato."

Electra's uncle wandered into the den, looking around as he went. "Nice place."

"Thanks."

They stood in silence, unsure of what to say. Electra paid attention to her hands at her sides, trying to keep her stance open and friendly. She liked Plato. She did. She just didn't know what to say.

Plato kept glancing around, looking anywhere but at Electra. He had known her his whole life. She was his brother's daughter. They were family. Sure, he was never talkative, but they talked. Didn't they?

Electra broke the silence. "Why did you choose me?"

Plato shrugged.

"Oh." Electra nodded. "I see."

Another pause.

"I'm sorry I put you on the spot like that," Plato said softly.

"No, it's...no problem."

"I just want you to know, I'm not gonna put you in danger. I-"

"I don't need you to protect me," Electra snapped.

Her slightly older uncle froze, examining the determined expression on her face. She was not a kitten, anymore. Though she was no longer groomed to the nines, as she had been the night before, she still looked, well, different. Maybe there was a different aura about her, but whatever it was, she looked grown up. She looked like a queen.

"You're right. I'm sorry," he mumbled.

Electra shrugged. The two stood in silence, looking around the den, at everything but each other.

For Electra, that wasn't so hard, because she was mesmerized with her surroundings. Or maybe it _was_ hard, because it was weird. This was her den. Well, hers and her sister's, anyway. She was grown up, but was she really? Was she really any different than she had been, twenty-four hours earlier? Forty-eight? Seventy-two?

"Um, Ellie? Earth to Electra?"

She shook the fog out of her mind and looked back to Plato.

"I asked if you like your new place," he stated.

"Oh." She nodded. "Yes, of course. It's nice."

He'd known her for long enough, though, to know that something was wrong. He decided not to pry. They weren't close.

"Okay," Electra sighed. "Maybe I'm feeling a little overwhelmed."

That made Plato feel bad. Not only was he probably – no, not probably. Definitely – a big part of the problem, but he should have asked. They were friends, weren't they? She was his niece, after all, and no matter what she said, he had an innate, familial desire to protect her.

"I should let you get settled," he suggested. She nodded shyly. It was odd, seeing her act shy. He gave her a kind smile and stepped outside, intent on heading back to his own den.

Just a few steps away from the door, he was startled by a voice.

"Hey. Little brother."

Plato turned around to see Munkustrap, leaning against the outside of his daughters' den.

"Walk with me."

They walked away from the clearing, through familiar piles of discarded materials that suddenly didn't seem so familiar to Plato. It felt different, since he had been named protector. Everything felt different. He was going to be responsible for all of it, and that was quite a culture shock, for a young tom who had felt invisible, just the previous evening. All of a sudden, he noticed everything – every faint smell on the breeze, every cricket's chirp, every cricket's silence, every silvery shadow cast by the moon. He glanced at his older brother and was surprised, when, for the first time, he realized he was taller than Munkustrap. Like, a lot taller.

"First of all," Munkustrap began, breaking Plato out of his thoughts, "I want you to know that I'm proud of you. We're all proud of you."

 _Are you?_ Plato thought, but he kept that to himself.

Munkustrap sighed, sat down on an old end table, and gestured for Plato to sit near him on a broken chair. "I need to ask you a favor, as a father," he said.

Plato cringed. "Is this about Electra?"

"Yeah…" Munkustrap sighed again, running a paw through his headfur. "Look, I don't want this to sound like I don't care about you, because I do. You're my brother. Just…look after her. Please."

"Of course."

The older tom nodded softly, looking off into space. He couldn't remember a time in his life when he had felt so conflicted. He was proud of his daughter. He hated to admit it, but when he and Demeter had only queens, he never thought he'd see one of his children become a protector. It scared him more than he would ever admit, especially to Electra.

"We'll start your training in two days," Munkustrap said. "She's a headstrong little thing, so remember that you're in charge, and she's your second-in-command."

Plato laughed, "I'm not sure I want to argue with her."

"Yeah, neither do I."

They laughed, though it was undeniably a little forced.

"Why did you choose her?" Munkustrap asked.

Plato thought about it for a moment, trying to come up with a reason that might put his brother at ease. When he came up with nothing, he just shrugged. "She's tough. She's resilient. I'd trust her in a fight."

"She is all those things," Munkustrap agreed. There was a pause. "What about you? How do you feel about being a protector?"

"Honestly?" Plato nervously shuffled his paws, looking at the ground. He was ashamed to say, so he mumbled, "I'm scared."

"I was scared, too," his older brother confessed. "But I'm ten times more scared, now that it's you and Ellie. Be careful. Promise me."

"Yeah, I promise."

Plato smiled. For the first time in a while, he genuinely smiled. He wasn't invisible anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

The evening was quiet. It was peaceful. The sun was warm and soft. Jellicle Cats were sleeping soundly in the dens, waiting for the moon to rise. Everything was so peaceful, and then-

 _SLAM. CRASH._

"What the fuck!?" Plato sat bolt upright and fell out of his nest.

"Heyyooo, little brother!" Alonzo called as he barged into the den, grabbing one of Plato's arms and hauling him up. "Time for training!"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Danger waits for no one."

Alonzo dragged Plato outside, where they were met by Munkustrap and a very groggy Electra.

Electra snorted, when she saw the state her uncle was in. His fiery headfur was sticking up in every direction. The dark markings on his face were all mashed together like smudged eyeliner. He looked awful, but hysterical, and Electra's still very kittenish personality got the best of her.

Plato glared at his niece. It's not that she looked so great, either, it's just that her small stature and huge eyes made bedhead look a little more adorable and less Frankenstein's monster on her.

"Are you two ready to get your 'protector' on?" Munkustrap asked, a frustratingly sunny grin plastered on his face.

"Daddy, it's, like, 4:20 in the afternoon," Electra yawned.

"Perfect time for a run around the perimeter of the junkyard." He clapped his paws together, laughing at the horrified expressions on his trainee's faces. "Now, when you two are protectors, and you hear a scream in the middle of the day from across the junkyard, what are you going to do? Sit in your dens and let a Jellicle be in distress, injured, or possibly even killed? Nah. You're gonna run for it."

"I'll let them die," Plato mumbled. Only Electra heard, and she burst out laughing. The noise seemed to brighten up the hazy afternoon, making her father and uncles smile – even Plato, in spite of his sleepy and sour mood.

"What's so funny?" Munkustrap asked, smiling sweetly at his daughter.

"Nothing," she giggled, stealing a sideways glance at her uncle.

"The tribe's safety is no laughing matter," Alonzo told them, melodramatically placing his hand over his heart. "And now…" He and Munkustrap looked at each other with a mischievous, almost kittenish gleam in their eyes.

"Run!"

The two older toms took off like shots, leaving their pupils in their dust. Plato momentarily contemplated staying behind, but some kind of primitive survival instinct kicked in in Electra and she sped off after her father and uncle. Plato groaned and reluctantly followed.

Electra's head start had nothing on Plato's height advantage, and he quickly passed her. He wasn't really thinking about it; he just ran, and he passed her. Electra, on the other hand, gave it a lot of thought. She was short – much shorter than any of the guys, and quite a few of the other queens. She was a "late bloomer," and she wasn't really sure what that meant, just that she'd heard several of the older cats, including her parents, call her that. She was just small, all around. She had a small body, small voice, small presence, all bursting with a huge personality that everyone knew so well. She was just Electra. She was never meant to be in the spotlight, she was just meant to be. That was the order of things, and she didn't complain. She didn't even dislike it, but now, things were different. She'd been placed on a different level. She had been placed on a level with her overachieving father. She was going to be a protector. The thought still made her heart race. It's what she had wanted since she was a kitten, but it was never supposed to happen. It was like some sort of dream. It was like some sort of joke.

She couldn't keep up. Quite literally, she could not keep up with the others. Her father and her uncles were way ahead of her, and she was tired. She was winded. She started to slow down, and she kicked herself. She wanted this. All of a sudden, she wanted so badly to prove to the entire tribe that she was worthy of her new role. She would show them all.

It wasn't often that Electra thought about that night. The night…well, she pushed it out of her mind, again. And again. And again. And again. This time, the memory kept coming back.

Even after all that time, no matter how hard she tried, Electra couldn't get two words out of her head. Two words she heard when she was just a young kitten: Multiple paternity. How could she expect the tribe to trust her if they ever found out that she might be… She couldn't even think of it. It was too horrible.

At least, the thoughts and memories distracted her for a minute from her dry lungs and burning leg muscles. She was still running. That is, until she snapped out of her thoughts, and she tripped and tumbled down a pile of old boxes, bumping her head on the leg of a table at the bottom. "Ow," she murmured to herself, rubbing the new bruise behind her right ear. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the ringing in her ears, which was quickly replaced by a low rumbling. It took her too long to realize that she wasn't just hearing things. By the time she realized what she was really hearing, it was far too late for her to get away. That noise haunts the nightmares of many a kitten, and even a number of full grown, street-hardened, alley cats. That noise was a deep, guttural growl. The unmistakable snarl of a junkyard dog.

* * *

Plato was tall. That was about all he had going for him. He could cover a lot of ground in one stride. Munkustrap and Alonzo were in much better shape. He had no hope of catching up with them.

That thought made him scoff to himself. He would never catch up to his brothers in anything. He was born last, and it seemed he was destined to always come in last.

As usual, when he got to thinking in this way, he forced the thoughts from his mind. Pitying himself wouldn't do any good. All he could do what his best, and that's what he would do. The tribe needed a protector? Great. He would be the best damn protector the tribe had ever seen.

He couldn't help but smile and run faster. He could do this. Munkustrap and Alonzo had years of training. Once he's been training as long as they had, he would be as good as them. No, he would be better.

Plato thought about the things Munkustrap had said, the night of the ball. He thought about the way the tribe reacted to him being named the next protector. Everyone seemed happy. Everyone seemed proud. Maybe, there was a part of him that he didn't see, but everyone else did. Maybe, he was better than he thought. He was a grown tom, perfectly capable of protecting other cats. Sure, an entire tribe would be difficult to look after, but he could do it. He would do it. He had to do it.

A blood-curdling scream stopped his thoughts, as well as his feet, dead in their tracks. The scream sounded like it had come from behind him. Electra? He had passed her, hadn't he?

He spun on his heel and ran back in the opposite direction. In spite of everything, he smiled to himself. He was a protector, on his way to protect. He had this under control. His thoughts were selfish, perhaps, but he wasn't worried. That all changed, however, when another scream pierced the air. "Electra!?" he called, receiving no response. He kicked himself for even wasting the energy and kept running as fast as his feet could carry him.

When he finally came across his niece, his blood ran cold. She was trying desperately to fend off a large pollicle, and by the looks of things, she was losing. Plato hesitated for a moment, nearly frozen as the pollicle pounced and pinned Electra to the ground. Then, he kept running, heading straight for the beast that was attacking his second-in-command, but he knew he had no chance of making it to them in time.

Right as the pollicle was going in for the kill, Munkustrap and Alonzo came out of nowhere, knocking it off Electra and pulling her to safety. Alonzo left a pretty nasty scratch across the pollicle's snout, while Plato stood, suddenly stuck in place. Where did his brothers just come from? They were ahead of him; How in the name of Heaviside did they beat him there?

The pollicle lunged at Alonzo, only to be attacked from the rear by Munkustrap, who had just haphazardly tossed his daughter out of the fray. The pollicle bit and scratch and kicked, whirling around like a tornado, trying to fend off the two dangerous tomcats who were on his case. Finally, after receiving a second blow straight to the face, it took off.

In mere moments, Munkustrap and Alonzo were at Electra's side. "Are you okay?" Munkustrap asked. "Electra, answer me!"

Electra was shaking and crying, clearly traumatized from her ordeal. She had sustained a pretty deep cut to the cheek, which was seeping blood down her chin and neck. She didn't even seem to notice. She threw her arms around her father and sobbed into his chest.

"Oh, Everlasting Cat, my baby," he sighed. "My poor baby."

Plato slowly approached the scene, and Alonzo addressed him, "You okay, Plato?"

Plato nodded silently, staring at his wounded niece. If his brothers had arrived any later, he would have just watched her die. It was sickening. It was horrifying.

"Come on, let's head back," Munkustrap instructed, carefully lifting his daughter into his arms.

The four protectors returned to the clearing silently.

* * *

Electra winced, as Jellylorum cleaned the wound on her face. She would need stitches, for sure. Munkustrap sat off to the side, trying not to go into total Dad Mode over his daughter's ordeal. She was a protector, now. He wouldn't always be around to help her. He shuddered at the thought. He just hoped Electra didn't notice.

"You poor thing," Jellylorum cooed. "On your first day of training. You're so tough, you know that? I just know you'll make a wonderful protector."

Electra growled, "I'm not a kitten, Jellylorum." Though she fended off that pollicle about as well as a kitten.

Munkustrap sighed, "Be nice, Electra. Just because you're a grown queen, now – Everlasting Cat help me – doesn't mean you don't have to respect your elders."

Electra pouted. "Sorry, Jelly."

"That's quite alright dear." Jellylorum gently patted her unblemished cheek. "You've been through quite to ordeal tonight, and the sun hasn't even set. Now, let's see about stitching this scratch up, yeah?" She began rifling through a drawer, choosing a needle and some fine, clean thread. "I'm no vet. It isn't fancy, but it will have to do."

Electra took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She was not looking forward to having her face sewn shut, that was for sure. Just when the side of Jelly's hand brushed her bruised face, she caved.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Will you hold my paw?"

With a regretful smile, Munkustrap reached out and took his daughter's paw in his. "Of course I will. So long as I can be, I will always be here to hold your paw."

Electra dug her claws into her father's palm as the needle pierced her cheek, and she held back a cry. Still, it hurt badly. She whimpered and tears sprang into her eyes.

Seeing her discomfort, Jellylorum stayed calm. This wasn't the first and would not be the last time she had to do stitches on another cat. She simply tried to distract her as best she could.

"You know, I remember when your father became a protector. In fact, I seem to remember treating several of his and Alonzo's injuries."

Munkustrap laughed, "That's right. Your uncle Al once ran himself nearly to death. He was dehydrated and exhausted from the heat, throwing up everywhere. At least you have a cool story to tell about your accident."

"And your father sprained his ankle in an old toaster. We had to cut it off his paw. Wasn't that on your first day, as well, Munkus?"

"Second, thank you very much."

There was a knock at the entrance to the den, and the three were soon greeted by Alonzo and a very melancholy looking Plato.

"Hey. How's our little warrior princess doing?" Alonzo smiled at Electra, as Jellylorum was tying off the stitches.

"Unable to talk, while I'm putting stitches in her cheek, dear," Jellylorum answered for her.

"Well, at least, I can promise her that training is all uphill from here."

"If she still wants to do it," Plato mumbled.

Electra looked at Jellylorum, who nodded her permission for Electra to speak. "I still want to do it, I think," Electra said quietly. She spoke up a little. "I mean, I agreed to. It's my duty. I can't let one ugly pollicle scare me off."

Her father squeezed her hand and told her, "You can back out, if you want to, Ellie. This is completely your decision. We all believe in you, though."

Plato sighed. This was all his fault. If he had just been faster, if he hadn't hesitated, he could have stopped the dog sooner, and his niece wouldn't have gotten hurt. Of course, if he hadn't called on her to become his second-in-command in the first place, none of this would have happened. He didn't regret his decision, really, but now there was this nagging thought in his mind that if he had chosen a tom, or at least someone bigger or taller, they would have been able to outrun that pollicle.

"Sorry," he blurted, before he could stop himself. Much to his horror, everyone turned to look at him. The one time he actually wanted to be invisible.

"Sorry for what?" Munkustrap asked.

"I- I should have done better. I should have run faster or reacted faster or something. I should have been there to protect her."

"Plato, this is not your fault."

"But if I'm a protector, it's job to protect!"

"You're right. It is your job to protect her." Munkustrap turned to Electra. "And it's your job to protect him, just like it's my job to protect Alonzo and his job to protect me, and our job – all of our job – to protect the rest of the tribe. Do you two understand?"

Plato and Electra nodded silently

Electra asked, "Can I talk to Plato, for just a minute? Just us?"

The others nodded and murmured their agreement, quickly shuffling out of the den, leaving the tribe's two newest protectors alone in heavy silence.

Electra finally took a deep breath and spoke. "If you've changed your mind…if you don't want me as your second-in-command, anymore…that's okay. I won't blame you."

Plato sighed. Part of him just wanted to explain how he felt and let her off the hook, but he just couldn't. There was something about her, some fire inside of her that everyone could see, that made him choose her. He'd just let her get injured and nearly killed. He couldn't abandon her, now. "No, I haven't changed my mind."

"But I'm too small, and I'm a queen. I'll never be able to protect you."

"You don't need to protect me," Plato said. "It'll be alright. We're a team, now. We can do this."

He left without another word, both of them wondering if that was really true.


	4. Chapter 4

Three days of training. Only three, and Plato was already so sore, he felt like his limbs were going to melt beneath him with each step. _Just one more block,_ he told himself. He deserved this weekend with his human family.

Of course, he was no longer an only cat, which was odd, but sort of pleasant. He was suddenly forced to share everything with a queen he did not know, but at least he wasn't lonely. The new girl was spirited. He liked her.

Upon reaching the large house where his human family lived, Plato slithered through the cat door and was greeted by the familiar comfort of his home. It was cool inside – much nicer than the midsummer heat that encased the junkyard. Plato much preferred cool weather, in which he could curl up under a blanket and get to be just the right temperature. That, or he liked to cuddle. He hadn't had anyone to cuddle with, since Victoria left him. They weren't ever really together, but they kind of were. Nonetheless, that wound still stung. Plato's human home was like a bandage. It was like his own little bubble, where no one could hurt him or worse, ignore him.

Most Jellicles considered the junkyard their home. Their humans' houses, if they had a human family, were their homes away from home. Plato was different. At the junkyard, he was nobody. Just one of Old Deuteronomy's six sons. A placeholder, space-filler, formation-completer at the Jellicle Ball, every year. At his humans' home, his home, he was the cat. They spoiled him rotten. He was the star of the household.

Except now he had to share that title with the new queen.

But he liked her. He wasn't bitter.

He was not bitter. Not at all.

"Hey, Plato! Where have you been?"

Now, that cheered him up. His humans' voices always cheered him up, especially when they were talking to him. He hopped up onto the armchair and into the man's lap. The man, whose name was Todd, scratched behind his ears, and Plato purred and pushed his head into Todd's hand. "When are you going to take Rosa on one of your little adventures, hm?"

"Rosa" was what the humans called the new queen. While Plato preferred the name they gave him – which was, of course, Plato – to the name his father gave him, she did not. And, speak of the devil, she walked in the room, having heard her first name.

"Hey, Tai," Plato said, as upbeat as he could. He was nothing if not reasonable. His frequently bruised ego was none of her concern.

Taimette was a black and white rex cat with green eyes. She could be somewhat quiet, but Plato was sure that was just because she was settling in. She wasn't shy. She was polite, and she liked their humans. She had to like them, the way they were fawning over her. Of course, the new cat always gets the most attention.

"Hi, Plato. How was the, um…what was it, again?" she asked.

"The Jellicle Ball," Plato told her. "It happens every year. Maybe you can go, when you get to know my family a little better. I mean, if you want to."

She smiled. "Yeah, sure. I'd love to."

Plato smiled back. "Cool."

They were still in the awkward phase of their relationship. Were they friends? Were they, like, siblings by human family, like Demeter and Bombalurina? Or were they just housemates?

"You're with that tribe that lives in the junkyard, right?" Taimette asked, curling up by Todd's feet.

"Yeah. The Jellicles. My dad's the leader, there."

"Oh really? That's cool. It must be nice to be the leader's son."

 _You would think,_ Plato thought, sighing. "Yeah. It's alright."

"And your mom?"

"Died giving birth to me."

"Oh." Taimette winced. "I'm so sorry."

"Meh. It's whatever. What about your family?" Plato asked, more than a little anxious to change the subject.

Taimette shrugged. "Strays. All of us. We got split up, in the shelter."

"Well, that sucks."

"Yeah."

Plato tried to hide his annoyance. He hated small talk. Luckily, that didn't mean he wasn't good at it. He was practically a professional small talker, and he had plenty of practice talking to pretty queens he didn't stand a chance with.

Wait, did he think Taimette was pretty?

Oh, Everlasting Cat. That was the worst thing that could possibly happen, ever.

"Um, Plato? Are you okay?"

"What? Oh. Um, yeah. Great."

"I asked if you wanted to go on a walk or something," Taimette said, quickly adding, "but you don't have to, if you don't want to, obviously."

It took Plato a few seconds to process exactly what she was saying. She wanted to do something with him. Right? That's what that meant? I mean, "do you want to go on a walk" was kind of ambiguous. That could be some kind of stray slang for "get lost, boring loser."

Wait, what? No. That was crazy.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

* * *

"Wow, you have five brothers?"

"Yeah."

"Older or younger?"

"Older. All older."

"Lucky," Taimette said. "I am…was…whatever…the oldest. I had all these little siblings to look after, and then my own kittens."

Plato cast a sideways glance at the young queen beside him. She did not look like a mother. She was too young. "You- Um…" He trailed off, realizing that asking would probably be rude.

"Have my own kittens?" Taimette completed his question. "Yeah, well, I was a stray. Things just happened. I got involved with some bad people. That's all over, now."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault."

Plato turned to stared at the pavement passing beneath his paws. At least it wasn't small talk. Though, in this case, he might have liked small talk better. He felt terrible for ever being jealous at all of Taimette. "I can't even imagine," he said. "I've always had a family. I've always had humans and cats who love me. I've always been taken care of."

Yeah, well…" Taimette sighed. "I hope I have that, now."

She was surprised, when Plato stopped walking and turned to her. "You do," he said. "I'm sure of it. I know my family – my human family and my cat family. I know them, and I know they'd never leave anyone behind."

Taimette smiled. "Your family sounds really nice."

"They are. I can't wait for you to meet them."

He actually kind of meant that.

* * *

 _"Can you ride on a broomstick to places far distant,_

 _Familiar with candle, with book, and with bell?"_ Electra murmured the lyrics to the old song to herself, as she sat on an old chest of drawers. The night was warm and muggy. Her fur stuck uncomfortably to her skin, but the peace of the darkness and solitude was worth it.

 _"Were you Whittington's friend-"_

 _"The Pied Piper's assistant?"_

Electra startled at the sound of another, albeit familiar, voice behind her. She whipped around and found herself face to face with Mistoffelees.

"Sorry," he said. "Force of habit."

"How long have you been standing there?" Electra asked, as the magician hopped up and sat on the chest, next to her.

"Not long. How are you?"

Electra stared at him blankly. When was the last time they talked, just the two of them? It had been months. Almost a year. _How am I?_ she thought. _Try "stressed." Try "lost." Try "confused." Try "heartbroken." Try_ "still in love with you."

"Fine," she said. "A little overwhelmed, maybe. How are you?"

"I'm doing well."

Electra tried to repress the multitude of emotions that were welling up inside her. She knew the script. She knew what she was supposed to ask next, she just didn't want to.

See, Mistoffelees had grown a lot in the year since he came of age. Maybe it was the fact that he had no actual parents in the tribe, or that he was always a bit of a loner, but he was easily able to function on his own. Electra couldn't see herself getting to be like that, in a year. She couldn't see herself getting to be like that any time soon. She couldn't even set her kittenish feelings aside to have a polite conversation with an old friend. Wasn't that the kind of thing that made you an adult?

She forced herself to utter the question, "How are you and Victoria?" She didn't really want to know the answer, though.

"Good. Great," Mistoffelees answered just a little too quickly.

Electra's ears perked up. Something was off. She could sense it. And as much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, she was glad. "What was that tone?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Mistoffelees asked, shifting uncomfortably and blushing. Oh yes, something was definitely up, and whatever it was, Electra was going to find out.

"The way you said that. Something is wrong. I can tell. Tell me."

Mistoffelees shook his head and folded him arms across his chest. "It's nothing," he said defensively.

Electra mirrored his actions in response. "It's not nothing. I may not be the _cleverest cat in the junkyard_ , but I'm not stupid."

Mistoffelees frowned. "Y'know, it's really not any of your business." He jumped down off the chest of drawers and began to stalk away nervously.

Electra knew what she was about to say was wrong. She knew it was manipulative and that she shouldn't do that to Mistoffelees. Still, he had hurt her, even if he hadn't realized it. She was in love with him. She was still in love with him. How could he not know that? Or, if he did, how could he just ignore her and go off with her friend?

"I thought we were friends, Misto," she called after him. "I thought we could talk to each other about things."

Mistoffelees stopped and slowly turned back around, his pale face bright red with discomfort. He calculated his words carefully. "We are friends, Electra. And you and Tori are friends. We are all adults here. What's between me and Victoria is between me and Victoria and no one else. I love her and she loves me. We are in a stable relationship and perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves."

Electra watched him in confusion. What in the name of Heaviside was he going on about? What did any of that have to do with- Oh.

 _Oh._

Electra's confused but interested expression turned to one of complete shock. "Misto, you didn't."

"Didn't what?" he snapped back.

"Misto!" Electra leapt to the ground and marched up to Mistoffelees. "You and Victoria are not mates, yet!"

Mistoffelees quickly placed one paw on her shoulder and the other over her mouth. "Keep your voice down!" he whispered.

Every Jellicle kitten knew from the moment they hit puberty that there were some things they were not to do until they were mates. Those rules were not to be broken. They were not to be bent. After all, those rules were put in place to make sure all kittens that were born were born into stable families. Mistoffelees, of all cats, should have understood that.

Electra reached up and threw his paw away. "I don't believe you," she hissed. "How could you do this? How could you do this to- to _her?_ "

"Tori is an adult," Mistoffelees argued. " _I_ am an adult! And we're going to be mates. We really are. Everyone knows that."

"You want to bet?" Electra asked. "You know, if anyone found out – if Tori got pregnant-"

"Don't say that. We're being careful."

She scoffed, "Right." She headed back towards the chest of drawers, just trying to process everything. Mistoffelees had slept with Victoria. Two of her best friends had broken the rules – really important rules. She felt sick. She felt betrayed. She had no right to feel betrayed, which she knew, but she couldn't help it. She just wanted to disappear.

Mistoffelees sighed. "You're not gonna tell anyone, are you?"

Electra turned around, and when she looked back at him, something had changed. She didn't see her kittenhood friend. She didn't see the shy, boisterous, magical kitten with whom she had grown up and eventually come to love. She still loved him, obviously, but it wasn't the same. _He_ wasn't the same. When she looked at him now, she saw what he had become: A grown-up tomcat. And, oddly, she didn't feel so jealous, anymore. She wasn't even all that attracted to him. She wasn't in love with that cat that was standing in front of her.

"Of course not," she assured him. "That's your business, not mine."

"Even Jem?"

Electra smiled. "Yeah, even Jem."


	5. Chapter 5

"They _what!?_ "

In Electra's defense, she waited five days before finally spilling Mistoffelees and Victoria's secret to Jemima. She just couldn't hold it in! She told Jemima everything. It was only a matter of time.

"Yeah, they had _sex_ , but don't tell anyone, because I promised Misto I wouldn't tell." "I can't believe it," Jemima said, shaking her head. "I can't believe Tori didn't tell me."

Electra detected a hint of sadness in her sister's voice. Jemima and Victoria were closer with each other than they were with anyone else. Electra was always so wrapped up in her own heartbreak over losing Mistoffelees that she didn't even stop to think for a second that Jemima was losing her best friend. Jemima was no longer the most important figure in Victoria's life.

Electra sighed. "Everything is changing. Growing up sucks."

"It sucks," Jemima agreed. "It sucks so hard. Like, a week and a half ago, we were kittens. I mean, not really kittens, but that's how everyone saw us, and now we're expected to function as adults. Just like that! It's bullshit!"

Electra froze for a moment, before she burst out laughing. "What?" Jemima asked.

"'Bullshit?' Since when does perfect little Jemima, Daddy's little angel, curse?"

"Daddy's little angel? Is that what you think of me?"

"That's what _everyone_ thinks of you!"

Jemima giggled, playfully pushing Electra, but their sisterly bonding was quickly interrupted by a knock at the entrance to their den. They called in unison for their visitor to come in, and they were joined by their uncle Alonzo.

"Hey, girls," he said. "Sorry to break up girl time, but I've gotta steal Ellie for training."

* * *

"Alright, take a break."

"Oh, thank the Everlasting Cat," Plato gasped, flopping down onto his back in the middle of the clearing. His niece wasn't far behind him. "Ellie?"

"Yeah?"

"It's a conspiracy," he said. "They're trying to kill us."

Electra laughed, "Yeah. My dad and Uncle Al are secretly agents of Macavity, sent to destroy us."

"Ha. That implies we're a threat to Macavity."

"Oh yeah. Don't you know?" Electra propped herself up on an elbow and looked over at Plato. "He's terrified of us: His baby brother and a little queen-kit."

Plato smiled. "You're not a kit."

"Yeah." Electra lay back down to look at the dark, night sky. "Whatever."

"You're not. Really. You did well, today."

"Doesn't mean I'm not a kit. I'm just a killer kit."

"A killer kit?"

"Killer kit."

The two of them burst out laughing. "We're losing it," Electra sighed. "How many days have we been training?"

"Eight."

"Eight. Right. Now, we just have the rest of our lives."

Munkustrap and Alonzo practically skipped back over, still chipper and energetic, as if they hadn't just spent the last half-hour sprinting around the perimeter of the junkyard. "Alright, young'uns," Munkustrap said. "Hop up. Look alive. It's time to start the next phase of your training."

"But Daaaaad," Electra protested.

Plato chimed in, "Yeah, Daaad."

"Don't make us go, Dad."

"Daaaaad."

"Okay, it's kind of cute when Ellie does it," Munkustrap confessed, "but it's just weird when you do it, Plato."

The two older toms helped the younger cats to their feet and led them away from the junkyard. It was a greatly refreshing and welcome change for all four protectors, who were used to being cooped up at the junkyard, watching over anything and everything. The sun was out, but there was a stiff, cool breeze and storm clouds forming in the distance. The city smelled fresh, obviously, compared to the junkyard. It wasn't anything new to Plato, who often left the junkyard to visit his human home, but to Electra, it was amazing.

Electra rarely visited her human family, if you could even call them her human family. They were really Demeter and Bombalurina's human family, and she just got included by virtue of being Demeter's kitten. She and Jemima weren't planned. Not by the humans – in fact, not by their parents, either. They only came around on occasion, with their mother. They were simply considered outdoor cats, and nobody gave it a second thought. Yet, for an outdoor cat, Electra didn't get out much. Not out of the junkyard, anyway.

Munkustrap and Alonzo led Plato and Electra to a small stream that ran through a small but beautiful park.

"Look at your reflection in the water," Munkustrap directed.

Plato and Electra looked at him quizzically. "Why?" they asked in unison.

"This is the second part of your training. The spiritual part."

The two trainees glanced at each other. Was he serious? Surely, he couldn't be serious. They were supposed to gaze at their reflection in a stream and – what? Achieve nirvana?

As if he was reading their thoughts, Alonzo piped up, "Who are the teachers here?"

Electra shrugged and turned around, looking down into the stream. With a heavy sigh, Plato joined her.

Munkustrap asked them, "What do you see?"

"Um, my face?" Plato replied.

"Look harder. Really focus."

And they did. If they were being honest, Plato and Electra would both have to admit that the water flowing across their reflections was somewhat mesmerizing. It was calming, and along with the warm weather and cool breeze, a cat could almost fall asleep like that. They only snapped out of their trance like state when they heard a voice shout, "Go!"

Before they knew what was happening, Plato and Electra each got a firm shove to the back and went tumbling into the water. It wasn't that cold, but compared to the heat of the midsummer night, it felt like it. Not to mention the fact that it was water, and they were cats.

Electra surfaced, coughing up water, while Plato shouted obscenities at his older brothers, who sat on the bank of the stream laughing their tails off.

"Did you really think the next phase of your training was some kind of spiritual crap?" Munkustrap gasped between laughs. "No, of course not. We're going to teach you to swim."

Electra pressed her ears back against her skull. "You have betrayed me, Father."

"Are you seriously going to make us swim?" Plato asked, guard down, all pride gone, sheer horror evident.

Munkustrap nodded. "If one of the Jellicles falls into water, who is going to save them?"

"Spoiler alert: It's the two of you," Alonzo added.

"You should be able to stand anywhere in this stream, but we'll be right here, if anything happens. Now, get going."

Plato hesitantly began to push the water around him with his paws, getting used to the way it moved. He grimaced, despising the feeling. Electra, on the other hand, put her game face on. Something about getting over her unrequited love for Mr. Mistoffelees, or starting to, anyway, made her feel invincible. Cat? Swimming? Bring it on.

She wasn't graceful, at first. There was a lot of choking and splashing and a lot of laughter from her father and older uncle. Plato was too wrapped up in his own plight to pay any attention to his niece. Had he been paying attention, though, he probably would have been impressed by how quickly the young queen was picking the skill up. Soon she was gliding through the water about as gracefully as a cat, and a short one at that, can.

At the edge of the stream, Munkustrap and Alonzo sat, watching their students and quietly reminiscing about their own days in training. Alonzo nodded to Electra. "She's doing well."

"Yeah, she is," Munkustrap agreed.

"I bet you're proud of her."

"I am. Very. And Plato, too."

"Yeah," Alonzo sighed. "Me, too." There was a pause, as Munkustrap smiled at his daughter. "You scared?"

"Shitless."

Alonzo laughed. "Yeah, I would be, too. To be fair, I am, but it's different. I'm not her father."

The mood of the conversation shifted, as if some coldness had suddenly dropped on the river bank. Alonzo didn't notice, at first. Then, Munkustrap snapped, "You don't have to be her father."

Alonzo was thrown off by his brother's change in tone. "I mean, I know that-"

"You can be her uncle and love her just as much. It doesn't matter. Blood doesn't matter."

There was silence for a few moments while both of them tried to figure out where to go from there, and where they even were to begin with. They both faced forward, as some sort of unspoken agreement was reached that the conversation was not to be continued. Being littermates and working together as protectors, they had gotten good at that, and those agreements were treated as sacred. As protectors, their ability to communicate non-verbally had gotten them out of many sticky (or, on occasion, potentially catastrophic) situations.

Alonzo broke the agreement.

"She's Mac's, isn't she?" he asked.

"No," Munkustrap responded. "I mean, biologically, I don't know, but like I said, it doesn't matter. I'm her father. I'm her father. No one is going to take that away from me. Not Mac, not you, not anyone." He paused to collect himself before asking, "How many people suspect?"

"None that I know of," Alonzo sighed. "And I've got to ask, what about Jem?"

"She's biologically mine. I know _she_ is."

"Does she know?"

"Ellie? No. She was so young; I can't imagine she remembers. And I'd like to keep it that way."

"Of course."

If their conversation wasn't over already, it soon was, and the brothers found themselves doused in water. They hadn't noticed Plato and Electra sneaking closer and closer to the bank of the stream, getting ready to take their revenge.

"Everlasting fucking Cat!" Alonzo hissed.

Munkustrap laughed, shoving Alonzo into the stream beside Plato and Electra, "No cursing in front of the kittens!"

"Who are you calling a kitten?" Plato jeered, reaching up to pull Munkustrap into the water fight. After a minute, he asked, "Is this what protectors do, all the time?"

Munkustrap feigned offense. "What? This is serious training, little brother. We are teaching you to fight off the legendary water cat tribe, ancient enemies of the Jellicles."

Plato laughed and splashed him, while Electra climbed up on her father's back. "Surprise, Dad;" she said. "Plato and I _are_ the water cat tribe."

"Uh oh." Munkustrap grinned. "I guess that means war."

Electra squealed as he threw her off his back and into the water. Plato and Alonzo laughed, smiling at the father and daughter, who obviously cared about each other so much. It was very subtle. Imperceptible, even, but Munkustrap noticed. He noticed that Alonzo looked at Electra ever so slightly differently.


	6. Chapter 6

"What are we doing?" Plato asked.

Electra sighed, "We're sitting outside of Mom and Dad's den, watching for danger, and we're going to make a scene if anything happens, so Dad wakes up."

"This is stupid. And it's hot."

"It's fucking hot."

"Don't talk like that."

"You're not my dad."

"Yeah? I might as well be."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Despite what Munkustrap hoped, Electra did remember that day when she was a kitten, when Macavity broke into their den and threatened them. She didn't understand right away, but as she grew up, she began to understand. When she thought back on that night, she realized what had happened and what had been said. She could have the blood of a madtom running through her veins, and she knew it. She tried to ignore it, but she knew it. The tom she knew as her father might be her uncle, just like Plato. Since becoming a protector, she was hyperaware of these facts, and Plato's offhand comment scared her.

"I'm the protector, and you're my second in command," Plato explained, "and you're my niece. I'm supposed to take care of you. You're my responsibility."

Electra felt a muddle of emotions ranging from relief to seething anger. She rolled her eyes. "Why? Is Das responsible for Uncle Al? Is it because I'm a queen? Or because I'm small? Or because I'm younger?"

"It's because I care about you, Ellie."

Now, Electra and Plato had always been friends, or at least friends of friends. They were around the same age. They had the same friend group. They were family. Based on all that, it was sort of assumed that they cared about each other, but they never said it. They weren't that close. They were just there, in the periphery of each other's lives. For them to express affection – like, actual affection – well, that was new.

Plato shifted uncomfortably, and Electra realized she was staring at him.

"What?" he asked. "I do. We're family. We're friends…aren't we? I mean, we've been stuck with each other constantly for the past ten days, having the shit beat out of us in training."

"I mean, yeah, I care about you too," Electra replied. "You just…caught me off guard. That's all."

It's funny, how a few kind words can make one feel so much better and see the world in a completely different way. All of a sudden, the sun didn't seem so harsh, and the heat didn't feel so miserable.

Okay, so the heat was still pretty miserable for Electra, with her dark, black and red fur. Plato was a lot lighter and had a lot more surface area, being taller and thinner. He really did have a lot of advantages over her, and they both knew it. Everyone knew it.

"So, if we agree that we're friends, then," Plato continued, "tell me about your life. What's going on?"

"Aside from constant training?"

"Yeah, like, you got a tomfriend or anything, now that you've come of age?" He laughed. "Anyone I need to kill?"

"Maybe Misto," Electra grumbled before she could stop herself.

Plato just grumbled right back, "Oh, I've thought about it."

An unspoken respect passed between them. They were two sides of the same coin. They'd both been heartbroken, when Mistoffelees and Victoria got together.

Plato sighed, "So there's no one else then, huh?"

"Nope." Electra sighed, as well. "Not even Misto anymore, really."

"Oh yeah? What happened?"

The young queen shrugged. "He grew into…not my type, I guess."

"Oh yeah? What is your type?"

"I don't know. Not that."

"So there are no young toms that need to have the shit beaten out of them by your ol' Uncle Plato?"

Electra snorted. "Yeah…no."

Plato grinned playfully and nudged her. "Come on. Tumbles and Pounce are pretty cute."

"Oh yeah? You think Tumbles and Pounce are cute?"

He just shrugged.

"Plato…" Electra trailed off, unsure if she should ask or not. "Are you gay?"

"Bisexual," Plato answered nonchalantly.

"Huh. And the grown-ups-" She paused when she realized that she was one of the grown-ups. "…everyone else is okay with that?"

Plato studied Electra's confused expression. She was a smart kid, but here, this seemed so intuitive to him and so shocking to her. Yet, she was the one who had a crush on the most feminine young tom in the tribe. Until he grew up, that is.

"There's nothing wrong with being gay, Ellie." Plato continued slowly. "So, are there any young queens that need to have the shit beaten out of them by your ol' Uncle Plato?"

"No," Electra said. "I mean, I don't know. I never thought about it."

They sat in silence for a few minutes mulling it all over, before the silence was shattered by a scream. They jumped up onto their paws.

"What the fuck was that?" Plato asked.

It was a scream – that was for sure – and it was a cat. The voice was low, like it was coming from a grown tom, but shrill, like he was in pain. That's what really sent shivers down Plato and Electra's spines – That wasn't a fear scream, it was a pain scream. Somebody was hurt, and they were hurt badly.

"Ellie, get your dad," Plato commanded, starting forward.

"What? Plato, we're not- we're just supposed to-"

"Go get him, Ellie!"

Reluctantly, Electra turned around and raced into her parents' den, where she had been living, a mere two weeks before. Just two short weeks after being declared to no longer be a kitten, she was rushing back into her old den to get her father to save some cat, because…it was her job.

Plato ran towards the source of the scream, driven by adrenaline and pride. He knew he should have stayed back with Electra, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to get help. He wanted to save someone. He wanted to be the hero. He told himself it wasn't stupid. He was the protector, right? This was his job.

If there was one skill Plato could brag about, it was speed. He made it across the junkyard in no time flat, to a large empty clearing in the Northwest corner where no one ever went. He couldn't remember why – some old Jellicle legend or something. What he found…well, it was eerie. It was deafeningly silent. A cat he had never seen before was lying face down on the ground. The tom was skinny and had a dusty gray coat. He must have been a stray, Plato thought.

"Hello?" Plato called out. No answer. He slowly made his way down into the clearing. The tom never made a move.

Plato started to relax. Obviously, this stray just wandered into the junkyard, fell off one of the piles, and hit his head. Plato knelt down beside him and carefully rolled him over onto his back. In an instant, any amount of calmness he was feeling was gone. The tom was dead, with heavy eyelids not quite closed and blood oozing from a slash across his throat that appeared to have been created and then burned. Plato cried out in shock and stumbled back, as a distant sound echoed around the clearing. A sound that sent shivers down his spine – deep, dark, haunting laughter. He shouldn't have come here. He definitely should not have come out here alone.

He felt one paw wrap around his chest and another cover his mouth. He dug his claws into his assailant, struggling fiercely, trying to cry out for help. This wasn't happening. This could not be happening.

" _Sshhh_ ," a familiar voice hissed in his ear. He glanced to his right. Munkustrap?

Oh, thank the Everlasting Cat, it was Alonzo who had grabbed him.

When Plato relaxed, so did Alonzo, and Plato was released from his grip. "Where's Electra?" he whispered.

Munkustrap answered, "Safe, in the den with Demeter."

"Where you should be," Alonzo added. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Plato shifted uncomfortably. He didn't have a good answer for that. He couldn't believe he had been so stupid. What if it hadn't been Alonzo and Munkustrap who snuck up behind him?

Munkustrap sighed, "There's nothing we can do for that tom. He's gone. We have to get back to the others."

Alonzo nodded, his face turning ashen. "Ellie's the only protector in the main clearing."

Luckily, it seemed that Macavity was finished disturbing the peace, for the day. The clearing was as silent as it had been…well, it was only minutes before.

Demeter stood at the entrance to her and Munkustrap's den, clutching Electra to her chest as if she was still a kitten. The two queens' faces fell, when they realized whoever the toms had gone to save had not made it back with them.

"What happened?" Demeter asked.

Munkustrap sighed and shook his head. "Some stray tom."

"And what happened to him?" Electra prodded.

The protector looked down at his little girl, her big green eyes wide like a kitten's. He wanted so badly to send her inside, to her old room. He wanted to hold her and check on her while she was sleeping. To protect her. But she wasn't a kitten, anymore. Standing before him was a grown queen that he raised, and who was to become the first female protector of the Jellicles.

The first female protector. Munkustrap hadn't thought about that. That was special. He smiled, reached out, and put a paw on Electra's shoulder. She would be remembered for that, for generations to come. His daughter.

His smile faltered. He remembered what was happening and where he had just come from. A tom had been attacked and killed within Jellicle territory by his brother, who was, maybe, Electra's real father.

He shook his head. She was his baby. No matter what.

"He was attacked," he admitted. "Killed."

Demeter stiffened and tightened her grip on Electra. "It was him, wasn't it? It was Macavity."

Munkustrap and Alonzo nodded gravely.

"Go get your sister, Ellie," Demeter directed. "You two are going to stay with us, for the rest of the day."

Electra nodded and shuffled off, adrenaline pumping but still tired nonetheless.

Munkustrap sighed. "You should stay with us too, Plato."

Plato looked up, feeling…well, he didn't know what he was feeling. He was happy that his brother cared for him like that, but angry that he thought he needed protection, and ashamed that he probably did. None of this would have happened, if he had just listened to Electra and done what they were supposed to do. Maybe Munkustrap and Alonzo would have even made it in time to save that tom. Plato was in way over his head. His little niece was apparently more competent than him. Maybe _he_ should be _her_ second-in-command.

"Plato, you just started training," Alonzo began, sensing his little brother's inner turmoil. "Macavity – He's… Well, he's on a different level. You won't be any good to the tribe if you're dead, so you've got to let us protect you until you're ready, okay?"

Plato nodded gently. Alonzo smiled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on. You can stay with Cass and me. We have more room."

So away walked Alonzo and Plato, leaving Munkustrap and Demeter in saturated silence. There wasn't a single thing Munkustrap could think to say that wouldn't just make things worse, and Demeter's eyes were already beginning to well with tears. Munkustrap gently pulled her to him, barely touching her, as if she would shatter if he really embraced her like he wanted to. He knew how she could. She and his estranged brother had a history, made even worse by the fact that everyone knew about it. She really loved him, and he did unspeakable things to her. She had recovered with the help of her mate, kittens, and friends, but Munkustrap knew that some scars never completely healed, and the phantom pains of her time with the hidden paw would haunt her until she died.

"Is it because of her?" Demeter asked, shaking. "Is this because of Electra?"

Munkustrap froze. "No," he answered, but he didn't know that. Why hadn't he even thought of that? It couldn't be, could it? "How would he even know?"

"He has spies all over, Munkustrap! He knows!" Demeter suddenly broke into all out hysterics. "He knows she's a protector! What is he going to do to her? We can't just stand by, not knowing what he might be planning to do to my kitten!"

"Our kitten, Demeter! I would never let anything to our kitten!"

"You don't know she's your kitten! I know she's mine!" Demeter shrieked, trying to push herself away from Munkustrap in a panic.

"Don't talk like that!" he hissed, grabbing her wrists tightly to hold her still. "Don't you ever say that!"

"Let go of me!"

Demeter wrenched her right arm out of Munkustrap's grip and swung at him, catching him across the face with her paw. The two looked at each other, stunned, as a drop of blood trickled down Munkustrap's cheek. Demeter collapsed onto the ground, sobbing.

"I'm so sorry," she gasped. "Please, I'm so sorry!"

Munkustrap knelt down next to her. He reached out to touch her, but thought better of it. " _I'm_ sorry, sweetheart," he said. "I shouldn't have grabbed you."

"I hurt you."

"It's just a little scratch. Nothing to worry about. Why don't you go inside and get cleaned up before the girls get back?"

Demeter nodded and darted inside their den. Munkustrap sighed heavily, touching the small scratch on his cheek. He wanted to think it was her love for him that prevented her from doing worse, but he couldn't help thinking if that was how she had fought Macavity, all that time ago, she never stood a chance. Their… _Her_ daughters would have to do better than that. The thought made him shiver.

He wiped the bit of blood off his cheek, when he heard Electra and Jemima approaching. They had brought their blankets, like two queenkits on their way to a slumber party. He couldn't help but smile. "Go inside," he told them. "It will be so nice to have you two home again, even for a day."

The girls agreed and scampered inside. Oh, how quickly kits recovered. If only they could retain that quality throughout their adult life.

Munkustrap didn't want to think about his kittens growing up and becoming jaded. He didn't want to think about them being hurt and turning out like their mother, so terrified of one thing or another that they could barely function at the thought of it. Most of all, he didn't want to accept that they were their own queens, now. He had done his part. There was nothing more he could do for them without their consent, and oh, how quickly all kittens wish to grow up.


	7. Chapter 7

The day Macavity attacked and killed that tom, Jemima and Electra didn't get much sleep. They couldn't. They stayed up, whispering to each other. Part of it was the stress that was keeping them awake, but it was also the comfort of acting like kittens in their parents' den, again. It was so comforting and so familiar, they didn't want to waste it. If only the afternoon hadn't been tainted by Macavity's mischief.

"Why do you think he came here?" Jemima asked.

Electra sighed. "I have no idea."

Jemima picked at her blanket nervously. "Is that, like, ten times more scary? Being a protector when he shows up? You're gonna have to fight him one day, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Electra snapped. Of course, she knew. It was one of her first thoughts when she was named protector. It was what she worried about day and night. Of course, she knew that. "Let's talk about something else."

Electra forced a smile and playfully nudged her sister. "Sooo, how are things going with Pounce?"

Jemima blushed. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on," Electra insisted, rolling over to her sister. "He's obviously into you."

"Really?" Jemima asked, giving away much more of her excitement than she had meant to. Electra just rolled her eyes.

"Um, yeah. Duh."

Jemima sighed, a bittersweet smile on her face. "This is nice," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"I miss you," she told Electra.

"We still live together, Jems," Electra reminded her.

Jemima sighed again, sadder this time. "I know. It's just- It's been different. We're not kittens anymore, Ellie. You're a protector, and I'm starting to think about my future."

"With Pouncival."

"Shut up!"

The girls laughed, playfully shoving at each other, but the mood soon darkened once more.

"They're going to call a meeting, in the evening," Electra said. "They're going to talk about what Macavity did to that tom."

"So?" her sister asked. "They always call a meeting, after an incident with Macavity."

"So? So this will be the first time, since Plato and I were named protectors." An edge of panic rose in Electra's voice. "What if the tribe doesn't think I'm strong enough to fend him off? What if they don't want me to be their protector, anymore?"

Jemima took her sister's paw in her own. "Hey, Ellie, calm down," she cooed. "You did exactly what you were supposed to do. You did great."

Electra sighed, "Yeah, I guess so." She looked down at her paws. "We couldn't save that tom, though."

"There was nothing you could have done."

"I just feel…bad."

Jemima smiled at her. "That's because you're a good protector."

Electra smiled back. She loved her sister. She just wished she believed her.

* * *

A few yards away, in Alonzo and Cassandra's den, Plato wasn't having much better luck getting to sleep. He just kept replaying the day's events over and over in his head. It had all started out so simple; he and Electra were sitting together, talking. It felt like they were finally building a relationship, not just as protectors, but as relatives. She was a pretty cool little queen. Plato regretted never spending more time with her, while they were growing up. Then, of course, they heard that scream, and everything went downhill.

 _How could I have been so stupid?_ Plato wondered. If he had just stayed put, like Electra, _like he was supposed to_ , everything would have been fine. Instead, he didn't take the situation seriously. He ran off, like a kitten playing protector, not like a real protector.

"You gave your brother quite a scare today, you know."

Plato was startled by the voice. He looked up to see his sister-in-law standing at the entrance to the room.

Cassandra gracefully slinked into the room. It had always kind of creeped Plato out, the way she moved. She sat down next to him in one smooth motion.

Cassandra's voice was low and smooth, like the vocal equivalent of melted chocolate. "You may not realize how much they care about you, Plato," she said, boring into his soul with her eyes, "but they do. Alonzo and Munkustrap would be lost without their 'little brother.' You must be careful."

Plato nodded. "I know. It was stupid. I'm stupid."

"Now, Munkustrap and Alonzo would not have chosen you to become the next protector, if they thought that was true. They are older and wiser than you, Plato. I think it best you believed them."

Plato looked at Cassandra, discomfort continuing to bubble up in his stomach. Eventually, he worked up the courage to say when he would later think to be the dumbest thing he ever said; "You're awfully smart, for someone who's so quiet. I can see why my brother likes you."

Cassandra smiled. "And do you like me, too, Plato?"

"Well, yes, of course."

"That's good," she said, taking it upon herself to smooth down the unruly red fur on Plato's head, "because Alonzo's little brother is my little brother too, you know?"

Plato nodded, and then Cassandra did the last thing he ever expected her to do. She hugged him.

"We're very glad you are okay."

"Yeah…me, too," Plato replied awkwardly.

"Then, get some sleep."

Cassandra gave one last knowing smile before slipping from the room, as quickly and silently as she had entered.

* * *

After what was a collectively sleepless afternoon for the protectors and their families, all the Jellicles were called to a meeting in the main clearing. They all knew what it was about. Though Macavity's attacks weren't necessarily common, they weren't uncommon enough. They all shuffled into the main clearing, eyes darting around, everyone doing a mental headcount of the group. Demeter kept her arms around her grown daughters, until she reluctantly had to let Electra go stand with the other protectors. She clutched Jemima to her chest, and Jemima didn't object. Macavity struck fear into the heart of every Jellicle, so matter how tough or strong.

Plato and Electra stood silently to the side of Munkustrap and Alonzo, withering under the fearful gazes of the Jellicles.

Munkustrap sighed, putting his arm around his daughter's shoulders and pulling her close. "This never gets any easier," he mumbled. Then, he took a deep breath and announced, "As many of you have probably guessed, Macavity was here, last night. He murdered a stray tom who had presumably come to the junkyard for our help. As always, we don't know his motive for the attack, so we had best all be on our guard. A memorial for the fallen tom will be held later this evening."

As the Jellicles slowly began to disperse, Demeter ran over to her mate and into his arms. She was shaking violently, as she often did, when Macavity was brought up. Munkustrap held her tightly to his chest, cradling her head in one of his paws. "It's okay, Dem," he told her. "Everything's going to be okay."

"We know his motive," she hissed.

"Please, love. We have no way of knowing-"

"It's Electra, and you know it. It's our Ellie, Munkus. This is about our Ellie."

Munkustrap shushed her firmly. He took her face in his paws and wiped away her tears. "Don't talk like that Demeter. He wouldn't hurt…he wouldn't hurt Ellie."

"What about Jemima?" Demeter whimpered. "What if he tries to get to Electra? What if he tells her, and she-"

"I will never let him get near our Electra." Munkustrap frowned. "And she would never go with him, Dem. She's better than that."

Demeter's expression turned from fearful to hurt as she deflated at his words. In vain, Munkustrap reached out to her. "I'm sorry, Dem. I didn't mean-"

Finally, her expression turned angry, and she violently shoved her mate away from her. "Demeter, please," he begged, reaching out once more. She hissed and swiped at him, leaving scratches across his arm, before darting back to their den in tears. Munkustrap remained in the clearing, defeated.

* * *

Later that evening, a number of Jellicles gathered in a corner of the junkyard to bury Macavity's victim. Noticeably absent were Demeter, Victoria, and Mistoffelees. Plato was relieved to have a break from the reminder that Victoria chose Mistoffelees over him, while Electra just felt sick. She tried not to think about it. Where was her mother?

The dead tom was covered in a ratty old sheet, salvaged from somewhere in the junkyard. Munkustrap and Alonzo carefully lowered him into his grave, and each Jellicle present aided in covering him with earth. Gently, all the Jellicles began to sing the Journey to the Heaviside Layer. When it was all over, Electra noticed the fearful look in Plato's eyes. "Is everything alright?" she asked.

Plato shook his head. "I can't get him out of my head," he whimpered. "The gray, dead eyes, the blood, the smell…" He choked up, not out of sadness, but out of pure nausea. Electra placed a paw on his arm.

"It's okay, Plato," she said. "It's over, now. He…he received a proper, traditional Jellicle burial. He's with the Everlasting Cat, now."

"There is no Everlasting Cat," he hissed, shrugging his niece's paw off him and stalking back to his den.


	8. Chapter 8

Electra rolled sleepily out of her nest, careful not to wake up her sister. The bright sun was still shining sharply in the sky. Almost all the Jellicles were asleep, resting up for the night to come. Outside, the air was cold, and snow covered the ground, but it was nothing a couple of fluffy cats couldn't handle.

The walk to Plato's den had become an act of autopilot. Electra rapped on the entrance to his den. "Oh, Plato," she sang out.

Her young uncle's voice wafted out. "Five minutes. Just…come in."

Electra shrugged and shuffled into the den, where Plato was just sitting up in his nest. "I overslept," he mumbled.

"Well, we don't have to go."

Plato and Electra had made a sort of tradition out of getting up before the moon rose, catching themselves a nice breakfast, talking, and being ready for their lessons, come the nighttime.

"No, no. I want to. Just give me a minute. Make yourself at home."

Electra looked around. She realized she had never been in Plato's den, before. It was a little messy, like her side of the den she shared with Jemima, but nothing unbearable. The main thing she noticed was how plain it was, and how Plato moved about like the space like it wasn't even his, like he didn't care about it at all. Electra realized that it wasn't a den, at all; it was just a sleeping space. But, if Plato's home wasn't there, where was it?

"Are you ready to go?"

Electra broke from her thoughts and nodded. She and Plato headed out. Since their training began, it had become so easy for the two to catch mice and rats, they hardly even had the think about it. The snow complicated matters, of course, but the task was still done in a couple of minutes, and they ascended a junk pile to eat and watch the moon rise.

"How long have we been in training, now?" Electra asked.

"Six months."

"Six months!?"

Plato chuckled, "I know. It doesn't feel like it, but the weather should give you your first clue."

Electra scrunched up her nose in her embarrassment, but Plato was right; it hadn't felt like six months. Slowly progressing, the two hardly even realized how good at their jobs they had become.

"Sooo…" Plato broke the silence. "I'm thinking of inviting my housemate to visit."

"Oh right," Electra casually replied, taking a bite of her breakfast. "I forget that you have a housemate. You never talk about him."

"Her," Plato corrected.

Electra smirked. "Oooh, so you're bringing a queen to meet the fam?"

Plato rolled his eyes. "It's not like that."

"Is she cute?"

"Why? You interested?"

Electra blushed. "No. I mean- I meant, to you… _do_ you," she stammered. "I'm not…"

"Are you sure?" Plato simply asked. "It's not like I'd care."

The perturbed queen took a deep breath. "I'm straight," she assured her uncle, but the words felt wrong coming out of her mouth. The truth was, she didn't really know what to think, so she didn't think about that. Instead, she gobbled down what was left of her breakfast.

"Thought I might find you two, here."

Plato and Electra jumped at the voice, but it was only Munkustrap. "Guess what?" he asked.

"What?"

He smiled. "You two have your first real job."

* * *

"So it was there, last night, and then it was gone?"

Had it been another cat, Jennyanydots would have rolled her eyes, but it was so cute to see Plato playing detective, she couldn't help but smile and chuckle a bit. "Exactly," she answered. "I brought that plate from my human family's home. I rather like it, and I would like it back."

Electra nodded. "Of course. We'll find it."

Plato raised an eyebrow. "We will?" He cast a nervous glance at Jenny. "I mean, you're awful confident."

Electra shrugged. He was right. She was confident. "We're on the case."

Plato feigned confidence along with her, but as soon as they stepped outside, he dropped the act. "Where do we even start, Electra?" he asked. "We have no clues."

Electra was already eyeing up the ground like a regular Sherlock Holmes. "Do the names Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer mean nothing to you?"

Plato rolled his eyes. "Of course, they do. I obviously suspect that they did it, but we have nothing linking them to-"

"Look behind you, Plato."

"I don't see anything."

"In the snow, Plato."

"…Oh."

Sure enough, as the two walked around Jenny's den, they were leaving clear pawprints behind.

"It was snowing a bit, last night," Electra remembered, "so they might be hard to see, but it didn't snow so much that they'll be invisible."

"Smart cookie." Plato tossed her a smile. "Maybe you should have been the lead protector."

Electra beamed. "You be lead protector, I'll be the lead detective." She threw in a wink for good measure and trotted on through the snow.

She was correct about everything. The pawprints were difficult to see, but they were there. They followed them to the edge of the junkyard, through a gap in the fence, and all the way to the road…where the snow had been brushed away to allow for cars to drive safely.

"Damn it," Electra grumbled. "And they're pointing away from Victoria Grove."

"Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer are crafty, Electra; maybe they went the wrong way to throw us off our trail.

Electra sighed. "Speculation – not enough to warrant a search. Sneaking around human homes is too risky to do without proof."

Plato inadvertently clenched his jaw and tightened his fists. He didn't like feeling helpless.

Electra gently touched his arm. "It's okay, Plato. We'll figure it out."

Plato stared down the street. His house was that way. He hadn't been there in a few days. They probably had a warm fire going in the fireplace, and the cold snow was starting to melt into his fur.

"Do you want to go to my humans' home?"

"What?" Electra asked.

"Come on."

Electra struggled to keep up as Plato bounded off through the streets, making a beeline for the place he knew so well. "Plato, wait up!" she whined, sprinting as fast as her much shorter legs could carry her.

It was a ten-minute run to Plato's human family's house. Electra reckoned it would've been about twenty minutes at a reasonable speed. She was thoroughly winded by the time she reached the cat door, while Plato had hardly broken a sweat.

"Come on!" he said, bouncing through the cat door.

Electra rolled her eyes and followed.

At the very least, it was nice and warm inside. No sign of humans, just some food and water and plenty of blankets to snuggle up in.

"Help yourself," Plato said, referring to the food and water. "I'm going to go find my…" He trailed off. His what, exactly? "…My housemate."

He started off in one direction, but Taimette had already heard them. She stepped into the room. "Hi, Plato. Hi- …someone." She looked thoroughly startled at the sight of the unfamiliar cat in her home.

"Electra," Plato amended. "My niece."

"Electra. Niece," she repeated, looking almost…relieved? "Nice to meet you."

Electra smiled warmly. "Nice to meet you, too! You must be Taimette." Her smile turned a little more mischievous. "Plato talks about you, all the time."

"Does he, now?"

Plato's fur couldn't even hide his blush. "Um, well, you see, Electra and I are here on business." He cringed at his choice of reply. _Business?_ What did that have to do with anything? "Someone stole something, and we're trying to figure out who. We have our suspicions, but we can't just barge in, now can we?" _Cat dammit, Plato, stop rambling._

The black and white queen shrugged. "Sounds like you need to pay them a visit."

Plato was now pacing, in full detective cat mode. "No, like I said, we can't just barge in."

"I didn't say 'barge in,'" Taimette rolled her eyes. "I said 'pay them a visit.' I'm assuming you know these cats, if you have reason to suspect them."

Plato's head snapped up. "Tai, you're a genius!"

"I'm-"

"Electra, let's go!"

"Plato, wait!" Electra whined, running after him as he darted back out the cat door. She struggled to keep up. "Where are we going?"

Electra almost ran into Plato, when he came to a sudden stop, staring at something on the path. A piece of paper, she saw. Written on it, their names.

Plato picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it. "Oh my Everlasting Cat," he said, when he read the note.

 _"Victoria and Mistoffelees have broken the laws of the tribe by engaging in inappropriate activities outside the sanctity of matehood. They must be dealt with immediately."_


	9. Chapter 9

Electra whimpered, hiding her face in her paws. "I should have known this would happen."

"Are you okay?" Plato asked, looking like he might throw up, himself.

"I'm fine," Electra assure him. "I just don't know how this happened! Jem and I were the only ones who knew! And I can't imagine they would tell anyone else, and I know Jem didn't do this-"

"Wait," Plato interrupted her ramble. " _You knew!?_ "

Electra gritted her teeth. "Yeah. I knew."

Plato stared off into the distance, feeling sick. Absolutely sick. He didn't want to let on that he was jealous, but, of course, he was. Wasn't Electra? She was into Mistoffelees. Then again, maybe she was over it. Not everyone could be so stupidly hung up on someone they were never even technically with in the first place.

Plato snapped, "Why didn't you tell anyone? They broke the tribe laws. As protectors, we have to enforce the tribe laws."

Electra's eyes were as big as saucers. "Plato, they'll be exiled," she whispered.

"They got themselves into this mess!" Plato crumbled the note in his paw, his anger and jealousy threatening to consume him. "We have a duty to uphold the laws of the tribe."

"We also have a duty to _protect_ them!" Electra argued. "Isn't that what we are? Protectors? Do you really want Victoria and Mistoffelees out on the streets?"

Plato sighed. He hardly cared what happened to that little magician, but he still loved Victoria. "No."

"He have a duty to enforce the rules, and we have a duty to protect. Which is more important? What do we do?"

At first, Plato thought she was still berating him over wanting to turn them in, but then she saw the signs of a genuine internal struggle on her face.

"I'm your second, Plato," she said, green eyes watery and big as saucers. "It's your decision, and I'll stand by it. I have to stand by it."

Plato nervously ran his claws through his headfur. If Munkustrap and Alonzo found out, what would they do? If he and Electra kept their secret, would they be in trouble if it ever came to light? It seemed almost selfish to think that way, but he convinced himself it wasn't. One of his top responsibilities was to protect his second-in-command, was it not? Was Electra an accessory, because she knew? Was _he_ an accessory, now that he knew?

After months of training, Electra could read his internal struggle like a book. "My father chose you because he trusts you. Listen to your gut."

Plato looked at Electra. Only a kitten a few months ago, she was far wiser than he could ever hope to be. She amazed him.

He realized that he loved her. In a sense, he had always known, because they were family, but the kind of love one naturally feels for their nieces and nephews wasn't quite like this. He was overcome with a desire – no, a _need_ to care for her and protect her. He wondered if that was what Munkustrap and Alonzo felt for each other. They were partners, responsible for each other's safety. He'd be damned before he let anything happen to her, and, importantly, he trusted her to protect him.

As protector, he had to treat every cat in the tribe the way he would treat the one he loved most. That had become Electra. If it was her, he wouldn't even consider ratting her out.

"Listen to your gut," she had said, and he knew she had his best interest at heart, so he did.

"We protect," he said, "no matter what. If we cast two of our own out because of some stupid rules, what are we?"

"Shitty protectors," Electra answered with a smug smile, but he smile soon faded when her eyes fell on the note that was crumpled in Plato's hand. "We have to warn them."

Plato nodded his agreement, and the two were on their way.

* * *

"Did anyone else know?"

Mistoffelees shook his head in response to Plato's question, gripping Victoria's paw nearly hard enough to break it.

Victoria sniffed back tears, which broke Plato's heart a little, but he had to hold himself together for her sake. For all their sakes.

"Are we going to be exiled?" the white queen sobbed.

"No," Plato and Electra answered in unison, earning them startled looks from Victoria and Mistoffelees.

"We're going to protect you," Plato assured them, "no matter the cost. That's our job."

Mistoffelees placed his arm around Victoria's shoulder to console her as Plato and Victoria made their way out of the den. They didn't make it far before Victoria caught up with them and grabbed Plato by the arm. The protectors turned around to face her. Her pure white fur almost blended in with the snow, and Plato and Electra both couldn't help but notice that she was beautiful.

"Thank you," she said, before pulling them both into a hug.

Plato and Electra watched as she scampered back into the den.

"So what's the plan?" Electra asked.

"We're going to pay Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer a visit, just like Taimette said." Plato turned around and began trudging through the snow towards the infamous twins' den.

"And do what?"

"You just leave it to me."

Plato had a plan. Oh, he had a plan, and it was going to work.

* * *

Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer were visibly suspicious of the young protectors in their den, and they were even more suspicious when Plato said he needed their help.

"I hear you two know how to write."

The twins shared a look, and Rumpelteazer who spoke up. "Mungojerrie does. I read, he writes."

"How can you write without knowing-" Plato shook his head. "Nevermind. I hurt my paw during training-" A lie. "-and I've been having trouble writing a note. Can you help me?"

Another look was shared, the Mungojerrie shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" He pulled out a pen and paper. "Whatchu need it to say?"

"Just 'meet me at the junkyard gate at sunrise.'" Plato said with a friendly smile.

Mungojerrie wrote the note quickly and handed it over.

"Huh," Plato said, then handed the note to his partner. "Electra, does that handwriting look familiar to you?"

Electra grinned. "Yeah, Plato. It does."

"So why'd you steal from Jenny, hm?" Plato asked the twins, who shook their heads vigorously.

"We didn't steal nothing!"

"Mmhm. And what didn't you steal?"

"Jenny's plate!"

Mungojerrie earned himself a smack on the back of the head from Rumpelteazer with that response.

Plato's smile became a shit-eating grin. "Yeeeaah. I don't think I have to tell you that I never mentioned any plate."

"Now what beef do you have with Misto and Vicky?" Electra butted in accusingly. "You two aren't exactly sticklers for the tribe laws."

"It was just a distraction, Electra." Plato said. "Let's go."

"We can still tell everyone about Misto and Vicky!" Rumpelteazer called out after them, causing them to stop in their tracks.

It was the protectors' turn to share a look.

Electra made the suggestion out loud. "Let's strike a deal."

* * *

"We're sorry, Jenny," Electra said, with her best "cute, little queen kit" face. "The trail's gone cold."

"Oh, that's okay." The Old Gumbie Cat patted her on the cheek. "I hardly expected you to find anything. Got to report to the protectors, though. You two are doing a great job."

"Thanks, Jenny." Plato offered an apologetic smile. "Let us know if there's anything else we can do to help."

Plato and Electra were well away from Jenny's den before they spoke to each other.

"I can't believe we did that," Electra moaned.

Plato dragged a paw down the side of his face. "I know, but we're protectors. We protect, no matter what."


End file.
